Newcastle demo sets a striking tone


    Elaine Brunskill

    Around 1,000 joined the anti-austerity march and rally in Newcastle on Saturday 6 June.

    Trade unionists, including stew-ards involved in recent disputes at Barbour, Tyneside Safety Glass and Kone, marched behind Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition banners.

    The demo came to a halt outside both Vodafone and Sports Direct – companies that are renowned for tax avoidance and zero hour contracts.

    Mick Joyce, shop steward from Kone and new Socialist Party member, was the first speaker at the rally.

    He got a tremendous response when he held up the Socialist newspaper and declared the lesson from their dispute was summed up in its headline: “Strikes get results”.

    Public meeting

    Immediately after the rally our Socialist Party public meeting was packed out. Everyone there was enthused by Hannah Sell’s analysis of the general election and what needed to be done next.

    We raised £208 fighting fund. Two people joined the Socialist Party and many others expressed an interest in joining.